Keeping an eye on patent related news can give a real insight into where companies are focusing their efforts or areas that they are considering moving into.
This article highlights a few areas that Amazon and Apple are working in/filing patents in in the medical field. Whilst I can see the merits in the collaboration between Apple and Zimmer Biomet to provide information to patients and to monitor progress before and after knee and hip replacements, I'm less convinced I like the idea of Alexa diagnosing me, where I'm pretty sure the main reason is the push to try and sell me something!
Amazon and Apple have taken over just about every corner of our lives. Their next stop is the doctor’s office. Both companies have introduced medical innovations in recent days that could turn Alexa and Apple Watch into digital physicians. First, Amazon recently filed a patent which would help its artificially intelligent smart speaker detect unusual changes in a person’s voice and speaking patterns without input from the user. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made the proposal public today.
https://observer.com/2018/10/apple-watch-amazon-alexa-doctors/
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